“The gayest thing you can do”: WNBA star Natasha Cloud lashes out at men who throw sex toys on court

The final seconds of the Chicago Sky ’s dramatic win over the Golden State Valkyries should have supplied more than enough drama.

Instead, Natasha Cloud left Wintrust Arena talking about something far removed from basketball after another WNBA game was interrupted by sex toys being thrown onto the court.

Multiple objects landed on the floor during the third quarter of Chicago’s 73-70 victory Friday night, briefly stopping play before the Sky eventually won on Sydney Taylor ’s buzzer-beating three-pointer.

Cloud , who scored a team-high 17 points, didn't attempt to hide her anger when the subject came up afterward.

“Y’all lame as f**k,” Cloud said. “In most of these occasions, it’s men. The men that are throwing it, shows that you are weak. Like, extremely weak. And it says a lot about how you feel about women.”

Stunt reflects something deeper

Cloud ’s criticism extended well beyond the disruption itself. She argued that the behavior says more about those responsible than it does about the WNBA or the people they appear to be targeting.

“I’m a firm believer that anyone that has so much of a problem with a marginalized group, just come out and say that you’re a part of our group, because the hate is unwarranted,” she added.

“It says more about the internal struggles of the individual than it ever will say about the collective group.”

Cloud also repeatedly used “gay” as an insult during her remarks while trying to ridicule the men involved, including calling the act of buying a sex toy and throwing it at a women’s basketball game “the gayest thing that you can do.”

Her broader point, however, centered on what she viewed as disrespect toward women and another needless interruption to a league that has already dealt with the same behavior repeatedly.

Friday marked the second consecutive night a WNBA game was disrupted in that fashion. A similar incident occurred during the Atlanta Dream ’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks , where a male suspect was detained after an object was thrown onto the floor.

Dealing with problem that never disappeared

The pattern first became a major league-wide issue during the 2025 season, when sex toys were thrown at games in several cities.

Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham was struck by one projectile, while another incident at a New York Liberty game resulted in a 12-year-old fan being hit.

Arrests followed multiple cases, and league officials warned that throwing objects can lead to ejection, lengthy bans and criminal prosecution. Yet those consequences haven't stopped the trend from resurfacing.

Cloud ended her postgame comments by mocking the people responsible and questioning why anyone would spend money on the objects simply to throw them during a basketball game.

Chicago ultimately left with the win, but Cloud ’s frustration made clear that players have grown tired of seeing games interrupted by something they no longer view as harmless attention-seeking.